The first 48-team World Cup, in numbers: 104 matches and over 300 goals

The 2026 World Cup will go down in history for many reasons, and the first is its size. It was the first World Cup with 48 nations —twelve more than in 2022— and the first hosted by three countries at once: the United States, Mexico and Canada. In all, 16 venues across North America staged a tournament that redefined the scale of the competition.

The expanded format meant 104 matches, up from 64 in previous editions. In them, 308 goals were scored, at an average of 2.96 per game, a very high scoring rate that kept the spectacle going from start to finish. The wildest match was France 4-6 England in the group stage, a ten-goal festival that will live long in the memory.

The tournament also had its share of tension: four ties were decided on penalties, including Paraguay's shock win over Germany. And there was room for the story of the underdogs: four nations made their World Cup debut —Cape Verde, Curaçao, Jordan and Uzbekistan— proof that the expansion opened the door to new countries.

Individually, Kylian Mbappé won the Golden Boot with 10 goals, Rodri was named the tournament's Ballon d'Or, Unai Simón took the Golden Glove conceding a single goal and Pau Cubarsí was best young player. Above them all, a figure for the ages: Lionel Messi confirmed himself as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history.

And in the end, one name at the very top: Spain, champions for the second time after beating Argentina in the final (1-0). The biggest World Cup in history had a sober, collective champion's ending. Check all the tournament's numbers in our data section.